Monetary Policy
Bernanke hints at June rate hold
The Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) rate-slashing cycle, which has seen rates fall by 325 basis points since September, looks to be at an end.
Nigeria acts to counter likely inflationary surge
The Central Bank of Nigeria has raised rates and its cash requirement ratio on concerns that inflation could soar in the coming months.
Inflation target appropriate: Hungary's Simor
Andras Simor, the governor of the National Bank of Hungary, has defended the central bank's 3% inflation target in the face of political opposition.
Turkish inflation back in double digits
The Central Bank of Turkey looks set to hike rates again after inflation rocketed to 10.74% in the year to May, up from 9.25% the previous month.
SA Mboweni voices agflation fears
Agflation has serious implications for South Africa's poor and unemployed, Tito Mboweni, the governor of the country's Reserve Bank, stressed.
ECB may need to refine collateral policy: Paramo
A member of the European Central Bank's (ECB) governing board has said the institution should consider revising the range of collateral it accepts in its open market operations.
Mboweni on the crunch
Tito Mboweni, the governor of the South African Reserve Bank, said "the fact that we have not had to be concerned about liquidity and financial stability issues has allowed the Bank to continue focussing on its objective of bringing inflation back to…
BoE money-market reforms have worked - paper
This paper by economists from the Bank of England finds that the central banks' introduction of reserves averaging since May 2006 has enhanced banks' ability to manage their daily liquidity requirements, by enabling them to trade in the interbank market…
Mboweni talks tough on rates
Tito Mboweni, the governor of the South African Reserve Bank, said that the central bank's monetary policy committee has discussed the impact of a 200-basis-point hike.
TAF successful in liquidity provision
The Federal Reserve's Term Auction Facility (TAF) is relieving the liquidity concerns and lowering liquidity premiums in the inter-bank money market, a new paper by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas finds.
Poland keeps an eye on growth
The National Bank of Poland decided to keep the key interest rates unchanged after a notion of a 25 basis points rise did not pass, the minutes of the April monetary policy council meeting show.
BoJ: risks to global growth keeps rate on hold
Downside risks to global growth have increased due to continuing disruptions in global financial markets and sluggish growth in the United States, according to minutes of the Bank of Japan's Monetary Policy Council meeting in April.
Norway holds rates as inflation creeps up
Norway's central bank kept its policy rate at 5.5% in the face of above-target inflation, concerns over continued market turbulence and signs of slowing growth.
Poland leaves rates unchanged
The ten-strong rate setting council of the National Bank of Poland voted to keep its reference rate at 5.75% as inflation fell but remained above target.
Political spat threatens further BoJ appointments
Japan's main opposition party has rejected yet another candidate for a senior role at the Bank of Japan.
IMF urges central bankers to hike rates
Policymakers would be better off reacting to the recent surge in commodity prices by raising rates, new research published by the International Monetary Fund states.
Don't just focus on rates: Japan's Shirakawa
Though the increased attention given to monetary policy is welcomed, other aspects of central banking should receive more publicity, said Masaaki Shirakawa, the governor of the Bank of Japan.
How globalisation impacts rate-setting in India
Despite a relatively low degree of openness, India's domestic monetary conditions are highly influenced by global factors, research published by the International Monetary Fund finds.
Iceland confounds expectations with rate hold
The Central Bank of Iceland surprised markets on Thursday, opting to hold rates, rather than raise them.
Pakistan raises rates 150bp
The State Bank of Pakistan hiked rates to 12% on Thursday.
Fed minutes reveal some reluctance to cut rates
Most members of the Federal Open Market Committee viewed the decision to cut rates by a quarter point in April as a close call, the minutes of the meeting reveal.
Recovery requires more than Fed cuts: Warsh
Returning the economy to equilibrium requires actions more befitting than changes in the federal funds rate alone, noted Kevin Warsh, a governor at the Federal Reserve.
Inflation targeting a dangerous fad, says Stiglitz
Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize-winning economist and Columbia University professor, has panned inflation targeting as a "fad" that could lead to economic disaster.
Bank voted 8-1 in favour of May hold
Only one of the Bank of England's nine Monetary Policy Committee members voted to cut rates earlier this month, a sign of the Bank's intent to fight inflation.